“We have a new idea that can have a great positive impact on your work and our client. Are you on board?”
“Yes, but I am very busy.”
“But we need only 2-3 hours a week on this; can’t you make time for it?”
“No, right now I am very busy.” I have a lot of meetings. Maybe in 3 weeks’ time I will have some free time, but I can’t promise it. ”
Does this scenario sound familiar to you? Is this something you have witnessed and has it frustrated you?
Have you ever wondered if they are really busy or if they are just pushing away the discomfort and anxiety of trying something new? We do make time for things we want to make time for!
“I am very busy,” is often used as a mask to hide the hesitation of trying something new and indulging in productive pain.
Productive pain is pain that we endure in order to benefit in the long run. Dragging yourself to the gym or carving out 30 minutes each day from your work schedule to work on a new idea are good examples of productive pain.
If you find people in your team masking behind “I am very busy”, it’s a red flag and it’s time to address this resistance.
Do you know how much this resistance costs your company? According to research done by McKinsey (2019), all failing transformation programs identify employee resistance as the major barrier, i.e., 72% to success.
So, if you fail to address this resistance, there is a whopping 72% chance that all your new initiatives, change projects, and innovation ventures may fail.
If you are a leader and want to identify these early red flags, start with a fun game.
Drop this new idea on the team and see how everyone reacts. Who is curious and wants to be part of it? Who is sitting quietly and silently? And who, even before hearing what the work is, how much time it needs, and the impact it can create, is declaring “Sorry, I am very busy“.
